This invention generally relates to telecommunications; and more specifically, the invention relates to communications or call centers that receive and transmit communications over both telephone and computer networks. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to a computer controlled communications switch, for use at such call centers, that automatically connects an agent to the appropriate network, either the telephone network or the computer network, depending on which network is being used to make or receive a particular communication call.
In the telecommunications industry, call centers are used to provide customer and operator services for business clients. Traditionally, customers of these business clients place a phone call to a toll-free telephone number to reach a call center customer service agent, and these agents then provide some type of service over the telephone for the customers. In many existing call centers, the service agents use telesets or automated call distribution pads to place and receive telephone calls. These telesets have headsets or handsets that the agents use to communicate with customers.
The telecommunications industry is changing; for example, more and more people are conducting business on the Internet. Internet telephony is growing in popularity and improving in quality. Some of the advantages of internet telephony include application sharing, white boarding, and the ability to make calls without a telephone.
In order for the customer service agents at call centers to also participate in voice over internet telephony, it is necessary that those agents be provided with equipment that will enable them to conduct voice communication over the internet as well as over conventional telephone networks. One way to do this is to provide the call center agents with expensive internet telephony gateways that will link the automated call distribution pads to the Internet, or the agents may use a speaker and microphone connected to personal computers. Another option is to equip the agents with a headset that will work with both their telesets and their personal computers.
Standard current amplified headsets are four wire devices. In these devices, two wires are used for the microphone, and the other two wires are for the earpiece. Typical personal computer microphones and speakers also are each a two-wire device, and it is not difficult to connect a standard headset to a personal computer. There are devices presently available that allow a single headset to work with both a personal computer and a telephone, and for example, the headset may include a switch, referred to as a PC switch, to allow the headset to communicate with a personal computer.
One disadvantage with these switches is that they are manually controlled. This may not be a significant problem for the ordinary individual that is making outbound calls on a telephone or listening to audio on a personal computer. However, in a call center environment, systems are automated and often the telephone does not even ringxe2x80x94calls are delivered when agents are available. Under these circumstances, it would be very confusing for the agent to have to manually switch between the personal computer and the teleset to handle internet calls and telephone network calls.
An object of this invention is to provide an improved communications switch that enables an agent to communicate both over a telephone network and over a computer network.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a communications switch that automatically connects an operator to a caller regardless of whether the call is being made over a telephone network or a computer network.
A further object of this invention is to provide a computer controlled switch for automatically switching an agent between a telephone network and a computer network, based on whether a customer contact is being made over the telephone network or the computer network.
These and other objectives are attained with a computer controlled communications switch for use at a communications center having an agent interface unit for conducting communication calls to and from an agent over both a telephone network and a computer network. The computer controlled communications switch comprises a switching unit having first and second states. When the switching unit is in the first state, the switching unit connects the agent interface unit to the telephone network, and when the switching unit is in the second state, the switch connects the agent interface unit to the computer network. The switching unit is controlled by a computer including a predetermined program so that the switching unit is in the first state when a call is made to or from the agent interface unit via the telephone network, and the switching unit is in the second state when a call is made to or from the agent interface unit via the computer network.
Further benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which specify and show preferred embodiments of the invention.